Early voting to begin in Andrews in sales tax election

Audrie PalmerMidland Reporter-Telegram

Published 4:12 pm, Sunday, May 1, 2011

ANDREWS -- Early voting will begin today in Andrews where residents will have the chance to vote to increase the current sales tax one-quarter percent to help pay for a truck reliever route around the city.

The sales tax rate currently is set at 8 percent, said city manager Glen Hackler, and is the lowest of the sales taxes in the immediate area. Midland, Odessa, Seminole and Monahans all have an 8.25 percent rate.

"The vast majority of the surrounding communities already are at that. We're just asking voters to take us to that same level," he said.

In 2005, Andrews residents voted to raise the rate from 7.25 to 8 percent. The half percent increase went toward economic development, while the one-quarter percent has been put toward property tax reduction.

The reduction helped to reduce the city property tax rate to 19 cents per $100, making it the second lowest municipal tax rate in the state of Texas, Hackler said.

In 2007, 87 percent of the 900 residents who responded to a community survey stated that their No. 1 priority and top concern was finding a new route to help with the truck relief through the city. City council members then set a goal to identify what the options were, and the reliever route was one they decided to pursue, officials said.

The proposed outer loop will relieve truck congestion along Highway 385, which also serves as Main Street that runs through the heart of the city.

"We believe it would be a catalyst for future growth and development of business commerce. It would create a much safer environment for local traffic," Hackler said, adding that 1,000 to 1,200 trucks use the highway each day.

The project will cost an estimated $6.2 million for the 13.1 mile route, down from the initial $14 million, officials said.

Early voting will begin today; the tax election will be May 14.

If passed, the quarter-cent tax will take effect on Oct. 1, the Reporter-Telegram previously reported. Hackler previously stated that he estimated the project will be under construction by January 2012 and completed in two or three years, while other county officials previously estimated the project to take up to five years.

Hackler said Friday that the city has a 100 percent right-of-way for the route. At this point, officials now are looking at developing funding as a way to support the project.

"This is an appropriate place for this," he said of the election to increase the sales tax rate. "It's only proper that our citizens weigh in and want this as a project and will be willing to pay for it with the additional sales tax."